From the shade of an alleyway a cloaked figure watched the trio.  Spying the bags of groceries and driven on by a growling belly, the figure steps out.  Atleast one of the three doesn't appear human so perhaps this will end well.  When the figure draws closer, a girlish voice speaks out from beneath the tightly bundled oversized blanket.

"Please.. might you have some food to spare?  I haven't eaten in days and I'm terribly hungry.."

The voice sounds weak, sad, and soft.  Though peeking from underneath the blanket on the ground, tips of what would appear to be sharp looking claws and the tip of what may well be a spikey tailtip.

Liberty looks in the direction of the voice. She hasn't noticed the claws or tail-tip yet but says, "Food? Well sure." she immediately begins looking through her grocery bag. She walks over to Challia, banana in hand and offers it. "Say, are you alone?" Liberty asks, looking around as if checking for the answer even as she asks it.

"A child wrapped in a blanket, starving and asking for food," Mittens says aloud, still texting away.

Did she use peripheral vision to notice the claws and tail tip?  Maybe?

"Obviously a trap.  She's going to have sharp teeth and there's going to be dozens of them."

She faces her cell phone toward the newcommer.

"Triquarter readings indicate a bifercated substratal molecular flux.  Fascinating.  I'm just playing.  By the way!  My name is Mittens!  This is Liberty and Joe!  Nice to meet you, cutie!"

  Joe feels his personal vendetta with bananas has no place here, and even a banana is better than nothing.  "Joking, oh good.  Because even I'm not that cynical." Of course, Joe could try to catch up by suggesting things about a van and candy, but that would be in poor taste.

  "Probably a stupid question, but anything else immediate this moment problem wrong aside from the starvation?"   Being specific helps, because 'I'm living under a blanket in an alley, duh' could be the answer for everything otherwise.

The figure starts to reach for the banana and pauses.  Another belly growl urges the girl to reach out for the offered fruit.  And so she does, a clearly not-quite-human hand and forearm reaches for the banana.

"Thankyou.."  A pause "I.. My name is Challia.."  The 'ch' pronounces as a 'ka' sound that ch's sometimes make.  "Other than.. starving?  I.. I want to go home..."

Liberty says, "My name's Liberty. And this is Mittens and Joe. We're from the Citizen Patrol, a group formed to help people. So you met the right people. Come with us and we'll help you find what you need."

Various curious onlookers have noticed the trio talking to the blanketed kid. If not for Mittens looking like a cat, most would have passed by. But she attracts a lot of attention due to that and so... small crowd forming.

"What Liberty said," Mittens concurs, putting the text addiction away, "Unless you'd rather not just up and follow a bunch of superheroes you've only just now met.  In which case, we may be able to bring home to you.  Phone number?  Address?  Cell phone!"

She then faces the crowd and strikes a heroic pose.

"That's right, curiosity seekers!  I am the famous Mittens!  Leader of the Citizen's Patrol!  Vanquisher of the fire dragon!  And this is the famous Liberty, rescuer of mothers and babies from burning cars, and Joe, vanquisher of the Water Demon!  So who wants to join us and be a superhero?"

Joe comments to Mittens, "I like to forget the time I electrocuted myself like a moron please."   He looks back to Challia and says "You can keep the blanket I guess, or we could find you a new one and burn that one.  Whichever works."

Challia meanwhile eats the banana from within her blanket of +10 Cloaking-ness.  And then there seems to be a crowd.  She shifts a bit, "I uh.. could we.. go some place more.. quiet please?"  If it weren't for the over sized blanket covering her near completely, those on lookers might get.. hysterical, perhaps.

Liberty would say "at least you didn't wind up naked in public as a result like I did" to Joe, but she's a little more sane than him in that she doesn't actually mention her embarrassing moments out loud. Why in the world did he say that anyway?

One of the crowd says, "It's because of you that daycare was burned down! It's because of you that water monster came to town. None of these fantastical things happened until you started your little group! You must be causing them to look like superheroes!"

Liberty says, "Not this again... Challia, we'll be happy to take you someplace private. Come on."

Another in the crowd succeeds his perception check with a natural crit! "HEY! That thing in the blanket is one of THEM! I saw claws!"

The crowd is getting restless.

Mittens shows off her cell phone.

"Cellphone!  Autodial!  POLICE!"

She takes out her megaphone, while bringing the cell to her ear.

"Yessir, Officer Bogrowski!  East and Main!  Oh you have a patrol car in the area?  Fantastic!  Oh it's no deal yet.  Ye olde accusations of a crowd of folks who think I'm evil for rescuing children.  And mentioning claws as if that's proof.  I called just in case anyone wanted to level formal charges against me."

She holds up the cell face out to prove she's on the phone with a cop.

"Anyone care to tell this nice police man what a villain I am for risking my life for the people of the city?  Perhaps next you'd like to tell him that the city's fire fighters have been setting fires.  Or that his fellow officers have been robbing banks.

"And no one answered my earlier question:  Who wants to be a superhero?"
This message was last edited by the player at 04:13, Tue 12 July 2011.

 Joe says to Mittens "Still don't want to be one Mittens.  It just sort of happens."  Must. Not. Insult Mob.  Yet always oh so tempting.  "Still some admited timing with the formation of our little group and horrible elemental beasts showing up though. He mutters.

  "Though, if you needed to borrow a jacket while we tried to get someplace less crazy I could give you mine for the moment."

A slight breeze blows by; ruffling ones hair, and disturbing the peace slumber of the occasional piece of litter.

Challia seems to cringe and pull that blanket tighter around her at the ention of her claws.  As she goes to move behind Liberty, a tattered corner of the blanket gets caught on random stray rock sticking out from the ground just right, and catches her by surprise enough to tug the blanket mostly away from her.

"...oh no..."

The revealed girl is shown to be something.. less human appearing than well.. human.  Her choppy red hair, a pair of red, fox like ears poking from the top of her head, her charcoal black-grey skin with vivid red markings some looking like jagged slashes over her form, while other more rough skin like.  The poor mutate girl, a jacket would be nice as the blanket is all she has.

Some of the crowd see Challia and go "Eek! A monster!" while others are looking a bit more menacing. One says, "I wanna be a hero. And that means telling you to get outta here now!" a burly man steps up to the heroes and then turns his back to them, fists up at the ready. "Calling the cops isn't as scary to these people as turning away from their own prejudice is. GO!"

Liberty reaches for Challia's hand to grab it. If the girl doesn't dodge this, Liberty would begin running for it, Challia in tow. Joe is stronger than Liberty, so he could probably carry the girl while running and outrun the crowd while he's at it. There's a reason "Impressive Guy" was a name that came up for his possible "superhero" monicker.

Mittens tilts her head to make sure the breeze blows through her hair to full dramatic effect!

"Practical suggestions appreciated," Mittens says as she runs off to open the door of her car for the others, "As always, the Citizen's Patrol can be found in the phone book and the internet.  Have a nice day, everyone!  Especially you, Mr. Awesome Man what single-handedly stands up to whole mobs!"

She starts the car and waits for the others to enter.

((OOC: There's room enough for all 5 of us in case you were wondering. ))
This message was last edited by the player at 04:50, Tue 12 July 2011.

  Are high school track and field qualified people secretly able to bench press 600 pounds?  Because that would be really convenient if so.  Joe wonders if he should also start carrying extra large drawstring shorts around, or something.  This is the second time a pantsless under age girl has needed clothing aid.

  Also, very glad ne doesn't keep money or his keys in jacket pockets anymore.  Just asking for trouble at this rate.  "I will be very upset if that guy gets hurt for not being a huge jerk."   As they reach the car he says "Ladies first unless it looks like that would really suck."

  Gusts of wind still technically count as ladies, right?  Joe's player is still hazy on proper terminology when someone turns into gaseous elements.  Joe the character is still in the dark about Mandy's existence beyond a sudden draft.

Challia doesn't resist Liberty's hand grabbing, and follows as fast as she can, her blanket left behind.  Though due to being hungry and sleeping in a cardboard box, she isn't as energetic as she might be otherwise.  Still as she's brought to the car, she gets in with little prompting.  Any place is safer than in the middle of a crazed mob.  She does look out towards the brave man that stood up against the crowd.  "Thankyou..."

The group in the car manages to get away, despite it being a city where walking is faster than driving. OK, so it's not THAT bad (we aren't in New York or DC). But still.

En route!

Liberty looks over at Challia. "If you don't mind my asking; Why don't you have clothes?"

Liberty's excuse was being inside a car when the car exploded. Burned all her clothes clean off. Challia? Liberty isn't sure what causes homeless people to... well she's actually pretty sure she's never seen a nude homeless person so Liberty is pretty curious now.

Mittens' first guess would be because the little girl's razor-sharp scales shred most clothes within a day.  She doesn't have razor-sharp scales?  Oh.  Never mind, then.

"I'm just driving around the corner, by the way," Mittens announces, "I'm sure it wouldn't take much of a leap for the haters to go from saying, 'Eeek, Monster!' to 'Mittens kidnapped a little girl!  Arrest her!'  I'm vague on the legal technicalities of a minor driving a minor around, and I have to tread carefully.  But back to original question..."

She begins to parallel park at the nearest parking spot that's out of sight of the mob.

"Where is home?  Got a phone number I should call?"

((OOC: Feel free to re materialize wherever you like, Mandy.  :) ))

  Joe is more afraid of being involved in a high speed car chase with Mittens driving her junker than fighting an Exploding Bees Elemental.  So he is very glad when she parks shortly after.  "If it's not a large distance away, I'm getting the feeling home might not have been an option for her or she would be there right now."

  Though, while there is less direct personal movement fleeing needing to be dealt with, he does try to make sure Challia is able to at least cover up her top and bare minimum of decency below (sometimes a height difference is quite handy) with the offered Jacket.  Well, so far as you can manage inside a car.  On a girl with a tail.  Without being rudely personal space invading.

  So yes, surprisingly difficult.

Challia blushes dark enough for it to be noticed in her already dark colored cheeks with all the attention being on her.  She fidgets and hugs the jacket close around her as her tail with is spikes curls carefully around her feet.

"I...  I don't have a home any more..  Not welcomed there anymore.."  Her eyes look down, "Don't have clothes.. not since the break in."  Another belly growl indicates that a mere banana wsn't enough to subdue the hunger beast.

Liberty says, "Well you can have a new home with us and we'll get you some clothes. Don't worry."

She figures it's probably best not to ask about horrific events for now. Better to just get Challia to safety. "Come on, Mittens. Let's get back to headquarters!" she is smiling inside. Knowing she is a part of something that involves saying "Back to headquarters!" makes Liberty feel special.

"Looks like you called it, Joe," Mittens says, "Well if you're alright with it, I'll be happy to take you to our rather cosy HQ.  Has multiple bedrooms, one of which is occupied by a homeless orphan boy."

If given the go-ahead, she proceeds to drive safely to HQ.  Led foot or no, Mittens doesn't want to frighten the poor child more than she already is.

  As fancy as the place was, Joe preferred home for a reason.  Of course bringing up that sort of thing now would be more insensitive than even Joe tends to be.  "I'm going to assume that Challia is going to prefer indoors over outdoors, just a wild guess there.  Feel free to let us know if that's wrong though... Though I think considering the location the deck has a nice view."